Recently, someone was quoted that there are hundreds of
people moving to Nashville every day. That is a pretty staggering number. Of
those coming to Davidson County, it would be interesting to know how many of
those came here to roll the dice at a career in the music business. I don’t
know what percentage of them make their dreams come true, but I would bet it
would be a low number. And, I bet there are some that have the kind of talent
that would make your jaw drop. Sad to say, but not everyone who moves here who
has the talent becomes a household name.
That opening statement can be used to describe the album that
will be featured on “Crazy Chucky’s Country Classic Corner” on August 5. It’s
by an artist that you probably aren’t familiar with, and to be honest with you,
the album was never actually released to the masses. But, it’s a story worth
hearing.
Back in the winter months of 2003, I was still in radio
working full time as the PD / MD / Morning Drive / Trash taker outer (When Ken
Loggains didn’t) at WDKN in Dickson, TN. Regina Raleigh, one of the leading
record promoters, had advised me to keep a close eye out for a song called “One
Mississippi” by a new artist named Jill King. I was told that she was the “real
deal.” Typically, Regina hasn’t been wrong about much – business or otherwise,
so I definitely took note!
A few weeks later, the single arrived. To say that Jill King
could sing would be like saying that Cajun food is spicy, Faith Hill is
attractive, or Mavis Staples has soul. To this day, I have never been affected
as much by a newcomer. Truth be told, I would put Jill King in my top five
percent of voices I have heard – ever.
Her range, her power as a vocalist, and her acumen for picking great
songs were second to none – indie label or not.
She enjoyed success at secondary radio with the
afore-mentioned single, as well as the retro-ish “Three Months, Two Weeks, One
Day” as well as the Bakersfield-sounding romp “98.6.” Anybody with a set of
ears would tell you that her debut album Jillbilly
was a sound to behold. And, it was impossible not to be enchanted by her talent
– and the fact that she was a young woman from Arab, Alabama who grew up
listening to Bob Kingsley on American
Country Countdown each Sunday after Church as a kid. She was – and is – one
of the most talented people I have ever heard!
But, that’s not the album I’m writing about. King went into
the studio to cut the follow-up entitled Somebody
New. The lead single and title track was the first single. You might
remember it from a few years back by Billy Ray Cyrus. The single climbed the
charts for awhile, and a few advance copies of the new music made the rounds to
a few people at radio. However, for whatever reason, the album never saw the
commercial light of day.
Sad to say, that was – and is – a crying shame. In the nine
years since that advance first made its’ way across my desk, I might not have
listened to a CD any more than that one.
As a vocalist, Jill King was able to convey a multitude of
emotions which I identified (or would) with. Whether it was the stunning
sadness exemplified by “Hurts Don’t It?” or the nostalgia of “Grandma Drove A
Buick,” she sang it loud – and did it with conviction. She could also handle a
tempo record with swagger. “Me and The Radio” would have been a perfect song
for the airwaves, and “The Next Time I Need A Heartache” was pure old-school at
its’ best.
Join me on next week’s edition of “Crazy Chucky’s Country
Classic Corner” as we shine the spotlight on the best album you’ve never heard
– unless your name is McCall or Quinton – Somebody
New, by Jill King. If you want to discover something really good – that
will re-instill your faith in Country Music (ironically, one of the titles of
the songs on the album!), tune in….or better yet, go to iTunes. The album is
available there. Go ahead. Download it. You’ll thank me later, I promise!
“Crazy Chucky’s Classic Country Corner” airs each Wednesday
at 1pm on WNKX 96.7 FM in Centerville, TN, and is brought to you by Tennessee
Properties.
